Zinedine Zidane Named France National Team Coach

Zinedine Zidane has officially been appointed as the new head coach of the France men’s national team, succeeding Didier Deschamps after the France Football Federation (FFF) confirmed the appointment on Tuesday. The former France midfielder, who helped his country win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, was unveiled during a press conference in Paris and is set to sign a four-year contract. The appointment marks a new chapter for France, with Zidane returning to football management after four years away from the touchline.

Zidane has not managed a team since leaving Real Madrid in 2021. During his two spells in charge of the Spanish club, following his time with Real Madrid Castilla, he guided the team to three UEFA Champions League titles and two La Liga championships, establishing himself as one of the game’s most successful managers.

“The France job was the only one I wanted,” Zidane said after his unveiling at the FFF headquarters in Paris.

“I’ve had offers over these four or five years to take charge of a club and I turned them all down for the French national team.”

The 1998 Ballon d’Or winner had long been viewed as the natural successor to Didier Deschamps, his former captain with the French national team. Deschamps ends a remarkable 14-year spell in charge of Les Bleus, during which he became one of only three men to win the FIFA World Cup as both a player and a manager after leading France to glory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

He steps down after guiding France to a fourth-place finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bringing an end to one of the most successful coaching eras in the nation’s football history.

Do you think Zinedine Zidane can lead France to another major international trophy?